On 'Beverly Hills 90210,' I was very young and very nervous.
Keiko Agena
Being on a successful show is kind of like being a sea turtle. Every year, sea turtles lay hundreds and hundreds of eggs, but only a few manage to survive and mature. It's the same with TV pilots. There are so many great ideas, but for whatever reason only the lucky ones get picked up.
I only had, like, 4 CDs when I was in college, and one of them was the soundtrack to 'Good Morning Vietnam' - that's how much I don't know about music.
I'm pretty low-maintenance.
Independence feels like a luxury, where the reality is that it's hard to survive financially for so many people out there.
Alexis and I actually shot the very first scene of 'Gilmore Girls.' What I thought was fast was nowhere near what has become known as 'Gilmore pace.'
That whole experience of filming in Canada was one to remember.
I've always been asked the question of, 'Do you feel like it's getting better over the years for Asian representation in Hollywood?' and I have always said, 'Well, it's better than it has been, but we have a long way to go.'
I always felt that just being an actor is difficult. Being an Asian-American actor doesn't make it more difficult. I see it as an opportunity and a chance to help other Asian-American actors coming along.
I do get a little disheartened when you hear about how many girls get discouraged to not pursue a career in the sciences, and I feel like seeing women that are portrayed in this way - and beyond that, just three dimensional, complicated women - those are always going to be the stories that I gravitate to most.
I am really fortunate to have parents who supported my plan to become an actress when I was a little kid. And then there was my grandma. She was the best. She was always there and ready to drive me to all my plays and stuff.
Ever since I found out I got the part on 'Gilmore Girls,' my life has been changing in so many ways. It seems as though all we get is good news. I'm just so grateful to be a part of it. It's a wholesome show with an edge. I have no idea how we pull it off.
I would love to work on another installment of 'Gilmore Girls.'
In the second season, usually television shows are running with the characters; they really get them. And then, the third season, they can push characters and really explore secondary storylines and things like that. And so I tend to like third seasons of most shows.
I think it's perfectly fine and interesting to have someone get married at a young age and have kids at a young age.
I am obsessed with improv.
We all have challenging family relationships, and trying to balance that between our dreams and what we feel compelled to do is, I think, a challenge that's easily relatable.
As an actor, I probably fall into more of the sidekick/best friend/doctor/lawyer category.
The audience will show up if you have authenticity. Like 'Moonlight,' there was stuff in there that is so specific to that community where the filmmakers grew up. Even if I don't understand everything they're talking about, I will love it if I feel that it's real.
My actual taste in music is pretty bad, I think.
I think it's weird to not be honest about your age.
'Wow, you look better in person!' - I get that a lot from fans.
The strange thing about being an actor is it's almost a little dangerous to invest in an idea. I think once you invest in the idea of where someone is going, then you're not fully open to being able to play the opposite of that if that's what the character is going to do.
